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New Castle Elementary School

Q: Is New Castle Elementary School a good school?

New Castle Elementary School ranks in the bottom 15.9% of Delaware elementary schools.

Q: How many students attend New Castle Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 383 students attended New Castle Elementary School.

Q: What is the racial makeup of New Castle Elementary School?

Students at New Castle Elementary School are 46% African American, 32% Hispanic, 16% White, 3% Two or more races.

Q: What schools do graduates of New Castle Elementary School attend?

Students who attend New Castle Elementary School usually go on to attend: Middle : McCullough (Calvin R. ) Middle School High : Penn (William) High School

Public Grades K-5

90^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 107 Delaware Elementary Schools

Better than 16% of Delaware elementary schools

Summary

New Castle Elementary School serves 383 students in grades K-5 in the Colonial School District of New Castle, DE, and has made significant strides in recent years despite historically low statewide rankings.

The school's most impressive achievement is a dramatic reduction in chronic absenteeism, which dropped from nearly 50% in 2021-2022 to just 15.1% in 2024-2025—now better than the district average (24.8%), the state average (17.1%), and nearby schools like Eisenberg (Harry O.) Elementary School (16.6%) and Castle Hills Elementary School (20.1%). This 70% improvement is likely a key driver of the school's academic progress. New Castle also serves specific student groups well—Hispanic students consistently rank in the 29th-38th percentile, and African American students jumped from the 10th to 33rd percentile in just two years. Low-income students have also improved dramatically, from the 7th percentile in 2018-2019 to the 28th percentile in 2025-2026.

While the school still faces challenges—fifth-grade math proficiency remains low at 12.9% (vs. 34.88% statewide), and there's a persistent gender gap with girls outperforming boys—the overall trajectory is positive. New Castle has moved from a 0-star to a 1-star rating and now outperforms nearby Downie (Carrie) Elementary School in most subjects, including fifth-grade ELA (22.58% vs. 17.31%). Compared to Richardson Park Elementary School, another similarly-ranked school, New Castle has far lower chronic absenteeism and better test scores across nearly every subject. Fifth-grade social studies is a relative bright spot, with proficiency improving from 26.67% to 38.98% in one year. With efficient spending ($14,895 per student) and clear momentum, New Castle Elementary appears to be implementing strategies that are working.

383

Students ?

13.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$25,464

Per pupil spending ?

57.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

903 Delaware Street
New Castle, DE 19720-6097

(302) 323-2880

District: Colonial School District

Students who attend New Castle Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	McCullough (Calvin R. ) Middle School
High:	Penn (William) High School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

46.2%

Hispanic:

32.4%

White:

16.4%

See top rated Delaware elementary schools

Compare New Castle Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 3rd percentile in 2023 → 16th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 16th (2026) from a 3rd-percentile low (2023)

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Delaware average (24% vs 42% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (16th percentile)

!English Language Arts scores 21 pts below the Delaware average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school24%

District avg27%

Delaware avg42%

90^th of 107

Delaware public elementary schools ?

Bottom 16%▼ down 31 pts since 2016

From bottom 47% (2016) to bottom 16% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Delaware Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

6^th of 8Elementary Schools in the Colonial School District

25^th of 34Colonial School District among Delaware districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2026	13.5	90 of 107	15.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	14.7	93 of 109	14.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	12.0	97 of 106	8.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	5.4	100 of 103	2.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	8.4	97 of 104	6.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	14.1	85 of 95	10.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	14.7	90 of 105	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	22.7	66 of 85	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	26.9	67 of 86	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	44.7	46 of 86	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2015	38.1	72 of 108	33.3%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2026	32.9	46 of 70	34.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	26.1	52 of 68	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	17.8	56 of 62	9.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	11.3	57 of 60	5.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	28.4	56 of 72	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2026	12.4	87 of 98	11.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	18.7	85 of 97	12.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	8.8	92 of 97	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	4.8	90 of 90	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	15.7	89 of 99	10.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2026	36.6	32 of 45	28.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	37.4	30 of 43	30.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	40.6	23 of 37	37.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	46.4	20 of 37	45.9%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2026	32.0	54 of 75	28.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	38.2	41 of 70	41.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	11.4	86 of 92	6.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2026	12.6	91 of 98	7.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	15.9	90 of 97	7.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	11.1	88 of 97	9.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	9.8	89 of 90	1.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	10.9	90 of 99	9.1%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2019	1.8	82 of 82	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

African American (2026)34th percentile+18 vs school

Hispanic (2026)29th percentile+13 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)28th percentile+12 vs school

Female (2026)11th percentile-5 vs school

Male (2026)7th percentile-9 vs school

White (2019)<1st percentile-14 vs school

By subject vs Delaware (2025-2026) ?

Social Studies30%-20 vs state

English Language Arts22%-21 vs state

Mathematics21%-18 vs state

1.0

1 rating · 1 written review

5★0

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3★0

2★0

1★1

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What people are saying

by a parent
Tuesday, December 17, 2019

This is the worst school My children have even gone too! My 5 yr old has been bullied here for 4 months by a abusive 5th grader 3 times her size! My emails were ignored until I got the district involved! The administrators of this school show to worry or concern about bullying or safety! After 4 months of bullying my daughter's bully got 1 day school suspension! Close Quote

Schools Near New Castle Elementary School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				DeSSA Science (2026)		DeSSA Social Studies (2026)					Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts (2026)						Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2026)						Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2016)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	DeSSA Science 5th Grade	DeSSA Science 8th Grade	DeSSA Social Studies 4th Grade	DeSSA Social Studies 5th Grade	DeSSA Social Studies 6th Grade	DeSSA Social Studies 7th Grade	DeSSA Social Studies 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 8th Grade	Total
New Castle Elementary School	Public	K-5	903 Delaware Street	New Castle	19720	New Castle County	Colonial School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 323-2880	383	29	13.2	57.7%	63 (16.4%)	177 (46.2%)	124 (32.4%)	1 (0.3%)	3 (0.8%)	2 (0.5%)	13 (3.4%)	13.5	90^th of 107 public elementary schools	15.9%		14.7	93^rd of 109 public elementary schools	14.7%	3			21.3	39.0				18.8	23.0	22.6				25.0	26.7	12.9				$25,464
Downie (Carrie) Elementary School	Public	K-5	1201 Delaware Street	New Castle	19720	New Castle County	Colonial School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 323-2926	324	25	12.9	50.3%	82 (25.3%)	122 (37.7%)	94 (29.0%)	3 (0.9%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.6%)	20 (6.2%)	12	94^th of 107 public elementary schools	12.1%		10.8	100^th of 109 public elementary schools	8.3%	6	13.2		21.3	48.0				17.8	19.6	17.3				15.6	23.5	11.3				$23,745
Castle Hills Elementary School	Public	K-5	502 Moores Lane	New Castle	19720	New Castle County	Colonial School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 323-2915	462	38	12.1	53.9%	78 (16.9%)	179 (38.7%)	138 (29.9%)	28 (6.1%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	36 (7.8%)	18.9	84^th of 107 public elementary schools	21.5%		21.3	86^th of 109 public elementary schools	21.1%	2	19.1		33.3	40.6				18.5	22.5	33.3				22.7	26.6	14.5				$24,288
Wilmington Manor Elementary School	Public	K-5	200 East Roosevelt Avenue	New Castle	19720	New Castle County	Colonial School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 323-2901	291	22	13.2	51.0%	82 (28.2%)	101 (34.7%)	85 (29.2%)	4 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	18 (6.2%)	16.5	86^th of 107 public elementary schools	19.6%		27.3	76^th of 109 public elementary schools	30.3%	10	15.8		23.5	38.9				27.3	22.1	23.7				25.0	26.1					$30,702
Charter School of New Castle	Public, Charter	K-8	170 Lukens Drive	New Castle	19720	New Castle County	Charter School of New Castle	Yes	No	No	Yes	(302) 324-8901	788	35	22.5	51.0%	19 (2.4%)	721 (91.5%)	33 (4.2%)	2 (0.3%)	5 (0.6%)	1 (0.1%)	7 (0.9%)	27.8	77^th of 107 public elementary schools	28.0%		32.4	70^th of 109 public elementary schools	35.8%	7	20.9		22.9	65.4	33.3	51.9	24.5	31.7	34.2	36.1	26.7	29.4	33.0	26.6	26.8	22.4	21.7	21.4	19.6
Eisenberg (Harry O.) Elementary School	Public	K-5	27 Landers Lane	New Castle	19720	New Castle County	Colonial School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 429-4074	436	32	13.6	99.4%	37 (8.5%)	196 (45.0%)	166 (38.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (8.3%)	29.6	75^th of 107 public elementary schools	29.9%		21.8	85^th of 109 public elementary schools	22.0%	10	25.8		26.4	54.1				21.1	29.3	44.3				23.4	30.7	35.5				$24,085
Pleasantville Elementary School	Public	K-5	16 Pleasant Street	New Castle	19720	New Castle County	Colonial School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 323-2935	389	29	13.4	46.1%	89 (22.9%)	169 (43.4%)	104 (26.7%)	4 (1.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (5.7%)	24	80^th of 107 public elementary schools	25.2%		20.4	88^th of 109 public elementary schools	19.3%	8	20.3		22.7	66.2				21.2	21.8	39.1				27.7	22.1	18.8				$25,005
Richey Elementary School	Public	K-5	105 East Highland Avenue	Wilmington	19804	New Castle County	Red Clay Consolidated School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 992-5535	382	30	12.9	43.3%	179 (46.9%)	68 (17.8%)	107 (28.0%)	7 (1.8%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	19 (5.0%)	53	46^th of 107 public elementary schools	57.0%		28.1	75^th of 109 public elementary schools	31.2%	29	37.1		32.9	67.7				36.8	33.8	56.5				43.1	32.4	50.0				$24,888
Richardson Park Elementary School	Public	K-5	16 Idella Avenue	Wilmington	19804	New Castle County	Red Clay Consolidated School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 992-5570	522	53	9.9	99.5%	94 (18.0%)	134 (25.7%)	264 (50.6%)	6 (1.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (4.4%)	7.4	101^st of 107 public elementary schools	5.6%		5.1	107^th of 109 public elementary schools	1.8%	6	13.6		11.1	37.9				16.5	11.2	22.7				13.8	12.4	9.1				$28,461
Jones (Albert H.) Elementary School	Public	K-5	35 West Main Street	Newark	19702	New Castle County	Christina School District	No	No	No	Yes	(302) 454-2131	329	23	14.3	45.3%	49 (14.9%)	184 (55.9%)	70 (21.3%)	10 (3.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (4.6%)	74.9	31^st of 107 public elementary schools	71.0%		84.3	17^th of 109 public elementary schools	84.4%	14	38.1		50.0	66.7				45.6	66.7	66.7				42.9	67.2	45.2				$25,836

Frequently Asked Questions about New Castle Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of New Castle Elementary School?

Students at New Castle Elementary School are 46% African American, 32% Hispanic, 16% White, 3% Two or more races.

What district is New Castle Elementary School in?

Colonial School District

What schools do graduates of New Castle Elementary School attend?

Students who attend New Castle Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : McCullough (Calvin R. ) Middle School
High : Penn (William) High School

Is New Castle Elementary School a good school?

New Castle Elementary School ranks in the bottom 15.9% of Delaware elementary schools.

How many students attend New Castle Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 383 students attended New Castle Elementary School.

Rate New Castle Elementary School!

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Latest Delaware data All new data »

2025–26 DeSSA, SAT & Smarter Balanced Assessments scoresAug 18, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataMar 23, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataJan 20, 2026

2021–22 through 2023–24 school spending dataJan 7, 2026

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Delaware Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.